Halberd Crew
by PandaFlute
Summary: A fanfiction starring Meta Knight and his infamous crew of members on the Halberd. That includes all knights, Kirby, and a few debuts. Debuts include Galactic Knight, King DDD, Knuckle Joe, O2, and many more. Please review! *Postponed due to hiatus*
1. Chapter 1: Encounter

Chapter 1: Beginnings  
It was a perfect afternoon with the Halberd crew. They were in a room with few windows and complete with some weaponry. A small table was set up with a chess game in action.  
Meta Knight and Mace Knight were seated on opposite sides, playing a quiet and serious game of chess. Meta Knight pondered his actions carefully, his eyes scanning the board. Mace Knight drummed his glove quietly in annoyance.  
"Yer gettin' kinda slow there, Meta Knight," Captain Vul said.  
"One must consider his actions carefully before acting upon it," Meta Knight replied. He finally made his move. "Checkmate!" he declared, taking Mace Knight's queen. Mace groaned, slamming his head on the table.  
"That's the 13th game he beat you in!" Sailor Dee laughed. He cowered behind Ax Knight, who patted his head. "No need to be so harsh," the other knight scolded, as Mace Knight glared at them.  
"And no need to have dismay at the least of your worries," Meta Knight said, sildling next to Mace, resting a hand on his chair. "The worst is yet to come, and we must be prepared for it," he continued, "There has been rumors that-"  
BOOM!  
Somewhat of a heavy object had landed on the roof. The workers  
"Man your stations!" Meta Knight commanded, rushing out of the door, his cape aflowing. The crew rushed to their stations, as the alarms went off.  
Ax Knight began steering as Mace Knight and Sailor Dee, commanded by Captain Vul, started to fire up the cannons, engines, and the main reactor. The Wheelies came to life in the main reactor.  
"Ready for takeoff!" Ax Knight yelled.  
"Takeoff, NOW!" Captain Vul roared.  
"I'll go check out what's going on up there," Mace Knight said to Vul. Vul only nodded, grunting his approval. Mace Knight left the crew and took the elevator to the roof. As soon as he reached the top, his eyes widened at the newcomer. He hid behind Main Cannon #2, straining to listen to the conversation.

A white, winged warrior paced back and forth, swinging a pink lance. His hot-pink, but dark body was hidden behind a white mask. Feathery, white wings stretched out into a long wingspan. Meta Knight was standing rigid, Galaxia poised at his side. Meta Knight looked smaller than the knight in comparison.  
"It seems that fate has brought us together again, Meta Knight," the pink warrior said, hovering in mid-air. His rectangular eyes glowed pink.  
"And who sent you to come and destroy me this time, Galactic Knight?" Meta Knight questioned, ignoring his greeting.  
"Well, since you put it that way, by the orders of King Dedede," Galactic replied, hovering in the air.  
"But I am his Majesty's faithful servant!" the blue knight angrily yelled, his eyes turning a deep shade of red.  
Mace gulped.  
"Ha! Don't fool me with all of this nonsense!" Galactic laughed, "I'm not that stupid. I know what you've been doing. Your services won't be required anymore!"  
"That might be true, but I conduct my services to the King to defeat the Dark Matter alongside the new Star Warrior, Kirby!" Meta Knight countered. He dashed forward, clashing swords with Galactic.  
Galactic Knight was taken back by this statement. "A Star Warrior, you say?" he asked in amusement. "The last one I saw turned out be a piece of cake!" He quickly counterattacked with a thrust.  
"We'll see about that," Meta Knight answered, leaping back.

At the helm, Captain Vul and Sailor Dee were watching the commotion.  
"Who's that?" Sailor Dee asked.  
"Galactic Knight. Ugh," Captain Vul shivered. He peered to his right, squinting his eyes to look behind the Main Cannon #2. "Is that Mace up there?"  
"Appears as so, sir. What shall we do?"  
"He'd better get down there. I heard that Galactic can smell fear for ten miles away!"  
"He's still on radar. Shall we fire? Main cannon #3 is online." Sailor Dee rushed to Mace's station.  
"... Not yet."

They kept watching the two swordsmen fight. Sword clashing with sword. Wings spread, eyes flashing a rainbow of colors.  
"Captain, shouldn't we be able to fire at Galactic from Main Cannon #2, now? We can dispatch him at any rate."  
"I said, not now. Besides, Mace will be burned to a crisp, and that wouldn't solve any matter from finding out who sent Galactic."  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
"Just do what I say."  
"Yes...Captain," Sailor Dee reluctantly said, taking his hands off the controls in Mace's station.  
- "It seems that I'll be paying him a visit tonight, and I won't allow any interference!" Galactic cackled. He flew off in such amazing speed that Mace Knight couldn't unravel. He disappeared into a bright light.  
"Where did he go?" Mace Knight wondered. The bright light appeared again behind Meta Knight and struck him, creating an explosion. "No! What... How?" Meta Knight winced, falling onto his hands. His eyes was flickering on and off.  
"That ought to take care of you for the moment. You have much to learn," Galactic Knight mocked, before flying off, "Just think of what your crew and Kirby would think of you. A powerful being with no defense and wits... heh, heh, heh."

When he was gone, Mace Knight rushed to Meta Knight's side immediately. "Lord Meta Knight, you ok? C'mon! Wake up, please! Don't fake it! Wake up! Ngh!" Mace whimpered, poking him. He heard a faint groan. "You're ok!"  
"Yes, but don't poke so hard. Tell Captain Vul to change course to Popstar. We...must..protect...Kirby...fast... I must be there for him," Meta Knight whispered. His eyes dimmed to a dark yellow, falling limp. He was dragged along unconsciously by Mace Knight to the elevator, at a slow rate, of course. Ax Knight was right around the corner in time to bump into them.  
"OW! Hey, watch where you're going!" Ax yelped. He paused, his red eyes disappearing. "That's not good," he finished softly. "What happened?"  
"I'll explain to you on the way, but for now, help me get him to his bedroom. The rest can't see us like this," Mace Knight grunted. He was close to losing his marbles. Ax Knight shrugged as he heaved up Meta Knight's feet.  
They reached his bedroom as Javelin and Trident Knight came down an elevator. They seemed to be lost in their conversation as they patrolled the corridors. They had behind a wall, sweating like bullets. Ax Knight, who was in the front, pushed backwards to indicate trouble. Mace Knight pulled the same way, saying to go another way. They ran backwards into the wall- no wait- a room. They tumbled on the floor as the door closed shut, locking itself tightly.  
"Where are we?" Ax Knight asked.  
"Welcom to my not-so-secret room," Mace Knight said. "Have one," he continued, tossing one to Ax Knight. Ax caught it and nervously took a bite.  
"Delicious," the skull said.  
"You tell anyone, and you're dead," Mace warned.  
"We really should be going now," the skull knight said, as he chomped on his. "We'll just wait for a few minutes, then we're leaving."  
"Okay, father bird," Mace Knight smirked.  
Meta Knight's body began to quiver a little. Ax Knight and Mace Knight froze in their spots.  
"Lala di da, la la la!" Distant signing from a yard was coming closer. Mace broke out in a cold sweat.  
"What do we do!?" Ax whispered urgently, peeking out the window.  
"Get down!" Mace hissed, pushing him down.  
"It's Sailor Dee! I know that singing anywhere!" Mace whispered, as the knights heaved Meta Knight again. "La la la LAAAA!" Sailor Dee sang as he passed the secret room. He peeked through the glass once, then kept skipping along and singing his song. "Phew!" the knights said. Sneaking out of the secret room, they rushed to the elevator the Waddle Dee just got off.  
Few mintues later, they came off and found Meta Knight's bedroom. With all of their might, they slammed straight into the door. Unfortunately, the door was locked. "Meesh!" Ax Knight panicked, "Captain Vul's coming!" They began to hear his thunderous footsteps. "Meta Knight must've hidden his keys somewhere," Mace Knight pondered.  
"Try Galaxia, that keyhole's big enough!"  
"Hmm, let's see, excuse us, Lord Meta Knight, but we need to borrow this for one second... ah ha!" The lock opened with a Ka-Chunk!  
They slammed into the door again, smashing Ax Knight's face and Mace Knight bumping his head as he fell. Poor Meta Knight was hurling across the room and headlong into the wall. "Eeesh!" Ax Knight yelled, locking the door; Mace Knight hauled the blue knight into his bed. They unlocked it again, to not raise suspicion, then dove under the bed.  
Captain Vul peeked his head in. Walking to the bed, he paused when he saw the unconscious Meta Knight. Tilting his head to the side curiously, he prodded the blue body once. He grinned, thinking of something. "Hee hee hee.." he snickered, exiting the room.  
"All right you lubbers, come on out with your hands up!" the bird roared. Ax Knight and Mace Knight came out of the room, surrendering. "Mind to tell me what's going on?" the captain squawked.  
Ax Knight pointed at Mace Knight, "It was his idea!" Captain Vul's burning gaze turned to Mace Knight.  
"Ack! I'll tell you everything!" Mace yelled, unable to keep it in any longer.  
He recounted the events of Galactic Knight's arrival, his plans for Kirby, and Meta Knight's passing out.  
"Galactic Knight," Captain Vul said after he finished.  
"Who?" Ax Knight and Mace Knight asked in unison.


	2. Chapter 2: Galactic Knight

Chapter 2: Galactic Knight "Galactic Knight," Captain Vul repeated. "The most powerful warrior in the galaxy, who with no shame, wears white and pink. He was sealed away for a long time because of his tremendous powers. If he was released and is flying off to Pop Star, that means someone has been consulted Nova. Nova is the guardian and can grant any wish. Meta Knight had wished to release Galactic form his confines to fight him. As predicted, Meta Knight won and took the title of the most powerful warrior i the galaxy."  
"King Dedede!" Mace Knight shouted.  
"Come again?" Captain Vul asked.  
"King Dede had ordered Galactic Knight to kill Meta Knight!" Mace Knight said, "And he's off now to find Kirby!"  
"Set course to Pop Star! NOW! SAILOR DEE!" Captain Vul bellowed at the top of his lungs. "Coming, sir!" a panicked Sailor Dee yelled back. He came running out of the elevator. "Watch Meta Knight, he's in his bedroom. Ax Knight, at the wheel! Mace Knight, patrol for you!" Captain Vul commanded.  
"Aw man...," Mace whined. He was about to proceed further, but was silenced by the captain's fierce glare.  
Sailor Dee walked inside of Meta Knight's bedroom and was surpised to find the knight sitting up. "Good evening, Lord Meta Knight! Tea?" he asked, offering a hot cup of tea. "Oh yes, thank you," Meta Knight answered, taking the steamy cup, "Where's everyone?" "Manning their stations. Captain Vul has already set course to Pop Star," Sailor Dee reported. He took a long sip of his tea, as Meta Knight leaned back on his pillow.  
They sat back and read some comics in silence for the next hour. Meta Knight's eyes locked on to a photo on the cabinent next to him, then looked back at Sailor Dee. He appeared to be sleeping the rocking chair. Creak, creak, creak, the chair rocked. Back and forth and forth, back and forth... Meta Knight's eyes turned green as he took the photo and looked at it. He thought of Kirby and Galactic Knight. Surely, the pink puff won't be sure of what would be coming for him. They had to get there fast, for who knows what Galactic's plan is. They had to get there fast, but the ship was huge. There was no way the Halberd could get there. It was fast, but not fast enough. He would have to get there himself.  
"Fast transportation, fast transportation," he muttered, thinking about the ship. The reactor would need to be recharged and needs more Wheelies. Wheelies...Wheelies! "That's it!" he cried, awaking Sailor Dee. But they're the main source in the Reactor. No worries then, they could find some spare ones. Meta Knight chuckled, but blinked in surprise to find Sailor Dee looking at him. "WAAAHH!" Meta Knight screamed in surprise. "AAAAHH!" Sailor Dee yelled, flailing his arms. They both screamed until Mace Knight burst in the door, wielding his flail on a chain. He was shocked to find Meta Knight and Sailor Dee in awkward positions. Meta Knight and Sailor Dee screamed at the intimidating sight of Mace, poising to strike with his flail.  
"WHOOAAAAHH!" Mace screamed, dropping his chain. All three screamed together, each scared at each other's positions. They stopped suddenly, not knowing what they were screaming about. "Ahem, I would like to speak with Captain Vul," Meta Knight said calmly, regaining his composure. Mace backed out of the room very quietly, muttering, "Awkward..." Sailor Dee scratched at his head in confusion, unable to register what happened. 


	3. Chapter 3: The Plan and Daring Doom

Chapter 3: The Plan Everyone was gathered at the helm, where Captain Vul was still in control of the Halberd. "Tonight, we must leave the Halberd, since we're landing on Pop Star shortly. We're picking up Kirby before Galactic Knight does, then after that, we'll have to take a detour at King Dedede's," Meta Knight explained quickly. "I'm starving," Mace Knight called out. Ax Knight rolled his eyes, surpressing the urge to punch him in the mouth. Sailor Dee shuffled his feet. "Then after that, we'll take a quick stop at Kawaski's," Meta Knight continued. "NO!" Everyone screamed in unison, while Mace Knight yelled, "YES!" "I'll only pick a few to come with me," Meta Knight said. Without even thinking, Ax Knight, Mace Knight, and Sailor Dee banded together. "I'll stay, someone's got to drive," Captain Vul offered. Then he looked at Ax Knight, "You owe me the night shift, Ax Knight." Ax Knight automatically shrugged in response. "In your absence, Javelin Knight, Trident Knight, Blade and Sword will be in control of the Halberd," the bird continued, as the remaining knights entered the room. "Well, this is all the help. Thank you, guys," Meta Knight said, grateful for his friends. They exited the helm, weapons at their sides and riding Wheelies. The Halberd sailded over the land of Pop Star. The knights and Waddle Dee dropped from the Halberd and raced on the dirt path to Kirby's house, with Meta Knight leading the group. "If we get there fast enough, we'll beat Galactic Knight, there," Meta Knight shouted over the wind. After a few more minutes, they were able to spot Kirby's house. "There it is," he shouted over the wind, pointing at a small, white hut. The moonlight gleamed as they stopped. As they dismounted the Wheelies, Ax spotted something peculair on the ground. He picked it up and inspected it. "We may have company," he announced grimly. Meta Knight's eyes turned red, "Better late than never." 


	4. Chapter 4: Midnight Rescue

Chapter 4: Midnight Rescue The pink puff opened his eyes and looked around. I'm hungry, he thought. A midnight snack would be nice. As he pushed back the covers, he thought he heard a tapping sound. He just shrugged. Probably it was a bird. He then heard a creeak, and found the window open. Kirby immediately became scared and jumped back into his bed, pulling the covers over himself. "Waa..." he began to cry softly. It became quiet THUD! He felt something hard land on his bed. Before he even knew what was happening, the covers were pulled back and a gloved hand clamped his mouth shut. The heavy weight was pushing the young Star Warrior down on the mattress, crushing him. "No!" Kirby shrieked. He felt a blow on the side of his face, making him see stars. His cries for help was muffled, making the situation even more difficult. Thankfully, he was small enough to squeeze and roll from underneath his intruder, able to breathe.  
Now was his chance. He staggered to the door. He collapsed against it, holding on to the doorknob. What? It's locked! his mind screamed. The intruder kicked him aside, double locking the door and windows. "Ah, Kirby, the Star Warrior. Never thought I'd be able to meet you! The name's Galactic Knight, your worst nightmare," the intruder said, brandishing his pink lance, "I've heard a lot about you." Kirby emitted a small, "Me?" "Mmhmm," the intruder replied. "I would hate to kill you now, as that is my job, assigned by none other than King Dedede. Say goodbye, little one!" Galactic Knight cackled. Kirby screamed as loud as he could just as Galactic raised his pink lance. CRASH! the windows crashed, sending glass pieces flying everywhere. "NO!" "Let him go, Galactic Kngiht! This harmless baby hasn't done anything to hurt you!" Meta Knight declared, thrusting Galaxia forward. "Oh ho, I beg to differ," Galactic countered, as his pink lance met the golden sword. His intimidating gaze swept the room. "This little thing could sweep Wolfwrath off his feet."  
Kirby tried to push himself up on his knees, but Galactic delivered anothe rblow, knocking the pink puff unconscious. That was the last straw for Meta Knight. "I know you taught him better than this," he muttered, turning his attention to Meta Knight. "Give up, already! It's four of us against you!" Mace Knight said. "Think again!" Galactic cackled. Meta Knight's eyes widened. "Move out of the way and get Kirby!" he shouted at he top of his lungs, running towards the pink warrior. Mace Knight swung hard, tossing his flail at Galactic Knight. Galactic jumped out of the way as the flail made contact with the wall. The wall exploded in bits, sending dust everywhere. Ax Knight and Sailor Dee grabbed the blanket wrapping Kirby in it. Galactic Knight spawned a Mach Tornado as Meta Knight jumped out of the way. The tornado shredded the entire house to pieces, carrying Ax Knight, a confused Sailor Dee, and the unconscious Kirby along with it. Wood flew everywhere, knocking Ax Knight out. "Oof!" Sailor Dee said as he hit the tree hard. The tornado died out, leaving the three stuck in the tree. Mace Knight swung again, this time, intentionally in the tree, yelling, "Tie Kirby onto it!" Ax Knight woke up and tried to, but saw that his foot was stuck between some branches "I can't!" he shouted back. Sailor Dee squeezed through some loose branches and wrapped the chain around Kirby's body.  
"Ax Knight!" Sailor Dee cried, "The tree's about to fall!" "Just go!" Ax Knight screamed back. He pulled out his big axe and started chopping at the branches. The tree swayed back and forth from the damage the tornado and done to it. Mace Knight pulled the flail, taking Sailor Dee, Kirby, and some branches along with it. The tree leaned sideways, threatening to crush Kirby's house along with it. Ax Knight freed himself and jumped off just in time. He fell to the ground with a THUD!  
Meta Knight spotted his group mounting the Wheelies with Mace Knight in tow, out of the corner of his eye. He cast one more Sword Beam at Galactic Knight and fled.  
"A real knight doesn't flee from battle! Come back here! Why don't you just kill me on the spot, huh!?" Galactic Knight yelled, spitting in the grass. "Ah, forget it, he'll turn up sooner or later," he mutterd, waving them away. He flew off in the opposite direction.  
"There's the Halberd!" Sailor Dee exclaimed, pointing up the circling ship.  
Captain Vul spotted them below and ordered the remaining crew on board to the the opening door. Trident Knight, Blade, Sword, and Javelin Knight formed ladder out of themselves. Meta Knight flew off his Wheelie and held out for his hands to catch Kirby. Before tossing it to everyone else, he looked under the blanket. He smiled under his mask, thinking of-  
"TREEEE!" Sailor Dee screeched, pointing to the incoming tree "Have you lost you marbles!?" Trident Knight screamed.  
"Kill screen incoming!" Mace Knight yelled.  
"What heck are you thinking!" Captain Vul screeched from the wheel.  
"Move it man, it's three feet in front of you!" Sword yelled.  
"Hey, hey, HEEEEY!" Ax Knight yelled.  
"Blimey, he's about to get whaled!" Blade yelled, flailing his hands.  
Meta Knight came back to his senses. He propelled himself sideways with his wings. Everyone else followed his suit, jumping off their Wheelies gracefully, as they were pulled onboard. "Show offs." As everyone gathered, the shaft closed. "Are you ok, Meta Knight?" Sword asked.  
"Yeah, you seem kinda uppity lately," Sailor Dee said. "Yes, I'm fine," an annoyed Meta Knight replied loudly. 


	5. Chapter 5: Reunion

Chapter 5: Reunion They were in Meta Knight's bedroom when Kirby awoke. He started smacking his lips in hunger, haven't eaten anything since the attack. "Everyone, can you please make something for us to eat? I... want a word with him. We'll come out when the food's ready," Meta Knight requested. The Knights and Waddle Dee saluted him and walked out.  
"First he almost crashes into a tree, now he wants a word with him?" Ax Knight muttered in disbelief, as he closed the door behind them.  
"Ah, don't be so suspicious. Besides, he knows what he's doing. Most of the time," Sailor Dee reassured him.  
"What should we cook?" Mace Knight asked, hoping to drop the subject. Sailor Dee clapped his hands together, "I have an excellent meal in mind!" "Oh, I forgot. I'm starving!" Mace Knight called out again. "This one is sure to make everyone's mouths water," the Waddle Dee said to the two knights. As soon as they got into the kitchen, he gathered the rest of the crew and told them the plan. Ax Knight and Mace Knight's mouths began to water. "Sounds better than Kawalski's cooking."  
Back in Meta Knight's bedroom...  
"Kirby.. I have some things to ask you," Meta Knight said to the small Star Warrior. Kirby tilted his head to the side curiously. "Have you seen anyone strange, like the one who attacked you last night, flying or walking to King Dedede's?" he asked.  
"Poyo," Kirby replied, he wasn't sure of what his rescuer's motives were.  
"And... what did he ask?"  
"If Meta Knight was around."  
Meta Knight was surprised by this answer.  
"You can talk in full sentences?"  
"Yeeeesss, poyo."  
"What else did happened? Was King Dedede upset?" he asked. As predicted, his answer was:  
Kirby decided to trust him. "Very upset. No Meta Knight. Kill him."  
Meta Knight's eyes turned deep green. "Galactic Knight then offered his services to kill me... and defeat Kirby, also! That's it! Then the Dark Matter wil be able to take over Pop Star, with... AH HA!" Kirby almost fell off the bed in surprise. Meta Knight steadied him, "Sorry, I must've scared you." "Would you like something to eat, Kirby?" the knight asked, jumping off his bed, "The food should be ready in another hour." "Poyo!" Kirby said excitedly. "But what should we do to pass the time?" Meta Knight asked again. They both looked around the bedroom. "Poyo?" Kirby asked, pointing to the pillows on his bed. Meta Knight shrugged his shoulders. "Pillow fight!" Kirby shouted, throwing a pillow at Meta Knight. The older knight became curious. He suddenly got the idea. He tossed one gently at Kirby, hoping not to hurt him. It hit the pink puff squre in the face. But he just laughed, and threw his at him. Meta Knight smiled at Kirby's happiness and threw another one. The pillow fight continued until they were both exhausted. "Good game, Kirby," Meta Knight said. They both were sitting side by side on the carpet. Kirby was already asleep.  
The older knight carefully moved away from Kirby, as so not to disturb his sleep and brought out a medical aid kit. He began to heal Kirby, who slept through the procedure, by washing his wounds and applying cream or bandages. He stepped back and examined his work. "Not bad," he muttered to himself.  
A knock at the door interrupted the quiet moment. Annoyed, Meta Knight opened the door to find Ax Knight waiting for him. "Dinner's ready. And there's some guests waiting for you. They're seated in the dining room, if you don't mind," Ax Knight said.  
"Of course, we'll be with you in a moment. Hmph, we never had guests before on this ship. What do you think, Kirby?" Meta Knight replied, turning around to find Kirby gone. He must've ran out at the word, dinner. "Ah, what the heck? He'll feel better once he eats. Had a rough night," Ax Knight reassured. "Let's take a little walk before we eat. I have something to talk with you and Mace Knight about," Meta Knight chuckled. Ax Knight looked dumbfounded, "Um, of course sir... I'll go get him." They headed out of his bedroom, walking down the hallway. "Oh, don't worry about that, I have a feeling that he's headed this way."  
"Are you really okay, sir?"  
Sure, why not?"  
"You seem to be giddy. Perhaps it was the candy that you ate 2 weeks ago?"  
"...I don't know what I was completely doing that time."  
"Right..hey, Mace Knight!" Ax Knight called out. Mace Knight happened to be chaffuerring some snacks to the dining room.  
Mace Knight came rushing over and whispered something in Ax Knight's ear. "This isn't the place to talk right now, meet in kitchen." Ax Knight nodded over at Meta Knight, who seemed to be admiring the chandeliers. Mace nodded and disappeared behind two double doors. "Sir, it appears that kitchen services are calling my name, may I be excused?" Ax Knight asked. "Go on," Meta Knight said, waving him away, "I have some things to do."  
Meta Knight ran back to his bedroom. He gasped at the mess he and Kirby made. "Ngh!" he screeched, swiping a broom and dustpan. "FOCUS!" he yelled to himself. "Dang!" he shouted when discovered his mirror was covered with pillow feathers. "CLEAN!" he declared, after making his bed. "A-A-annoying feculences!" he coughed violently. He swept up so much dust in the room that it scattered everywhere and catching on to his armor and mask. A split second later, the whole room was cleaned, and his mask was shiny. Looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but take off his mask. The masked knight was replaced by a blue Kirby.  
"Well, hello there," he said, staring at himself. Meta Knight looked very different, but still armored. Maybe he'd look more revealing by taking off his armour. And that's what he did. Piece by piece, he looked completely different. Maybe he should go to dinner like this. 'No,' he thought to himself, 'they would never take me seriously.' He took a quick shower before putting his armor back on. 'That feels better.' He headed out to the dining room. The guests sitting at his table were: King Dedede, Sir Kibble, Daroach, and Escargoon. Everyone else was in the kitchen, as the Wheelies in the dining room served the side dishes. The king seemed to have struck up a conversation before Meta Knight arrived. 


	6. Chapter 6: Dinner

**Chapter 6: Dinner**

"So you have cooked up a succlent meal tonight, you say? I hope it's 8 tons better than Kawalski's excuse for a cooking," King Dedede said, his belly rumbling.  
"Oh, it's the finest and biggest you've eaten," Captain Vul muttered.  
"What was that?" Escargoon asked loudly.  
"Nothing," the captain retorted.  
Ax Knight, Mace Knight, and Sailor Dee arrived in the dining room, looking elegant in tuxedos and bow ties, carrying menus.  
"Hey, you've got servants!" Escargoon said happily.  
_Servants?_ Ax Knight thought angrily, as he made his way around the table, passing out menus.  
"Here are your menus, gentlemen," Mace Knight said, keeping his cool in check as he passed one out. Sailor Dee added, "Food will be served in a few minutes, so please wait patiently." King Dedede rolled his eyes. He spotted someone to pick on.  
"Hey, remind me to get a suit and a coffin because the Grim Reaper is giving me his death stare, get it? HA HA HA!" the penguin roared. Escargoon guffawed in response, while the rest thought of the food. After the three dapper Knights and Waddle Dee went into the kitchen, Ax Knight stomped his foot in fury.

* * *

"ARGH!" he yelled, puling out his axe, "I'm gonna kill him!" He was held back by the coattails by Mace Knight and Sailor Dee. "Help!" cried Sailor Dee. Javelin Knight and Trident Knight, in the middle of their cooking, dropped their utensils and locked the double doors.

"AX! Nothing will make it better if you kill the King! Believe me, I went through the same thing when I first met you!" Mace shouted, running in front of him and guarding the doors.

"What'chu talkin' about!? That was a long time ago!" Ax roared, swinging his axe.

"Sorry, forgot about the Noodle Incident," Mace shrugged, "But can we at least discuss it to be on more peaceful terms?" Ax lowered his axe, shrugged, too. "Now, where were we?" he asked scratching his head.

_Knock, knock, knock!_ Trident and Javelin Knight looked back at Ax and Mace. The two knights just drew their gloves over their mouths, and motioned for them to open the door. They opened it, to see Captain Vul standing before them.

"Is everything alright in there? We all heard something break," he said.

"Oh yes, we just had a scientific discovery and therapy session," Trident Knight answered.

"A breakthrough in culinary and medical research," Javelin quipped, adjusting his chef hat.

"Well, where's the food! It's been 30 minutes, already!" Vul roared, his belly rumbling seeming as if it was agreeing with him.

* * *

3 minutes later, Ax, Mace, and Sailor Dee returned to the dining room, carrying steamy plates of food. Juicy chicken was served Ax Knight (his pleasure to do so); Mace Knight with vanilla coffee or daiquris; and Sailor Dee with ham and egg salad on toast. "But wait, there's more!" Trident Knight and Javelin Knight shouted together. They, along with Sword and Blade, carried in: lemon berry tartlets, cinnamon apple grilled cheese sandwiches, angel food cake, Boston cream pie, brownies, and last but not least, vanilla French toast.

"Woo, Mama! I'm in heaven!" King Dedede yelled joyfully. Sir Kibble punched his boxing gloves in the air and pulled out an additional box of doughnuts.

"Such a beauty! I never knew my crew were chefs- in disguise! Can you believe that?" Captain Vul sobbed happily to Meta Knight. The bird took a bite out of a French toast.

"So-so-so...succulent!" he blubbered, "Think of all the benefits! Breakfast in bed! And much more!"

Kirby looked at the variety of doughnuts waiting to be eaten.

"Poyo! POYO!" Kirby shouted happily.

Opening his mouth to inhale, everyone (but Meta Knight), screamed, "NO!"

The baby looked uncertain. "E-eat, poyo?" he stuttered.

"There's a special treat just for you, little one," Mace Knight said, placing a Maximum Tomato and a strawberry shortcake in front of him. "Poyo, cake!" Kirby said happily, looking to Meta Knight.

The older warrior was too busy eyeing the brownies. 'Must have, must want...now...' he thought. The brownies seemed to be calling to him. His instincts were taking over... "Om, nom, nom, nom!" Meta Knight said, ripping off his mask. He started chowing down on the brownies like there was no tomorrow.

The sound of everyone else chomping around him stopped.

The warrior paused in mid-bite (his fourth brownie) and looked around, seeing some pretty interesting faces.

King Dedede's eyes were big and wide, while Escargoon jaw-dropped. The astounded penguin automatically punched him in the jaw, knocking the snail out.

Daroach just stared at Meta Knight, his eyebrows lifting up.  
"Is that really you?" the dumbfounded mouse asked, giving him the 'What the..' look. The blue puff cleared his throat.  
"Can you ever take me seriously?" he asked in annoyance. Everyone just muttered, taking another bite out of their foods, still staring at him.

Captain Vul's eyes were bulging out. "Is that really our leader!?" he squawked, feathers falling off, fainting.

Daroach conjured up a ceiling fan with his magic wand. Meta Knight frowned, chocolate smeared upon his mouth. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he continued eating.  
"I'll never be taken seriously again," he said to himself, as he bit a brownie.

* * *

Back in the kitchen, the knights and Waddle Dee were snacking on their homemade meals.

"Mmm, this chicken is so juicy!" Mace squealed. He poked Ax Knight, who was eating a French toast. "Uh, I wouldn't say where I got it from. It'll set Captain Vul and King Dedede on fire," the skull replied, pulling at his bow tie. Mace remembered something from earlier and poked Ax again.  
"So... what was that thing you and Meta Knight were talking about?" he asked.  
"Now that you say it, I don't remember," his friend replied.  
"Hmph, Let's go see what's going on in the dining room, some info has to come out some time," Mace said. They sneaked out of the kitchen and hid behind the dining room's door. Standing on their tiptoes, they took a quick peek.

"Is that Meta Knight?" Mace asked in disbelief.  
"I believe that is," Ax said.  
"Hehehe..." they snickered, keeping it a secret. They pressed their ears to the wall and listened.

* * *

"I say this is outrageous! I would never order Galactic Knight to come an' dice ya!" King Dedede roared, slamming his fist on the table.

"I say, you say Galactic Knight!?" Sir Kibble asked in surprise.

"G-Galactic Kni-ght!" Daroach choked. He received a pat on the back from Meta Knight as he hacked some more.

"I never even heard such a silly name like that!" Escargoon howled in laughter. Dedede whacked him on the head with a hammer. Meta Knight waved his hand his hand to silence them.

"I've had an encounter with him not to long ago, Dedede. Are you sure that you have more words to say than lies?" he asked, glaring at the baffled king. The glare continued for a few more minutes until the penguin roared, "You've got me!" The king fell out of his chair as Escargoon fanned him with a pie plate.

"That's more like it," Sir Kibble agreed.

"I've been having a few troubles lately, myself and the Squeak Squad, too," Daroach said, adjusting his red hat. "Especially Spinni," he muttered under his breath. "No, not Spinni," Sir Kibble snickered quietly. "No, not that way," the embarrased mouse interjected. In his moment, he pulled his red hat over his head. He was blushing furiously on both cheeks, "Ngh!"

"I'll tell ya'll the truth," King Dedede said, looking around the table, "But first, WHAT IS HE DOIN' HERE!?" He pointed at Kirby, who wasn't paying any attention. Meta Knight's yellow eyes turned to slits, "Can we just get straight to the truth, already?"

He waved his hand again to silence the oncoming murmurs. King Dede sucked in a deep breath before beginning:  
"I was tired of having someone too boring as a servant. Problems weren't solved immediately. I wanted someone else to spice things up a little. Then G-Knight, whatever his name was, came flying in at the right time. So I hired him as my official servant. Before I could go any further, he kept asking me questions about you. And I answered all of them. I even ordered him to discard our last cloaked figure, and to get rid of that Kirby. He flew away, saying, 'You won't ever regret hiring me!'"

"And you answered all of his questions?" Meta Knight said in disbelief, facepalming.

"Your Highness, you are one smart penguin," Daroach snickered. "Indeed he is," Escargoon obliviously agreed. "Oh yeah, Mr. Squeakers? Don't tell me that your life is perfect!" King Dedede retorted, his look directing to the mouse. Daroach wrapped his cloak around tightly around himself. "Since you put it that way," the mouse said, sipping his daiquiri.

* * *

Mace and Ax went back into the kitchen for some drinks. Blade, Sword, Trident Knight, Sailor Dee, and Javelin Knight were just sitting down, having a casual conversation. They went back out again to listen more, this time with refreshments.

"...You don't understand how bad the damage was. I could already sense it in my cloak! Before we could do anything, he already done it!" Daroach exclaimed. "That bad?" Escargoon asked. "Indeed it was, eh, er... Shelly," the mouse replied. The snail pouted, "Only Mama, would ever call me that."

Daroach sipped his drink before continuing:  
"As I was saying, Spinni and I ran into our airship before any more was taken. We expected him to attack behind us, but he was already gone. The damage was ridiculous! Storo lost a couple of pounds, good heavens, I don't know what to consider of it! Doc's laboratory was completely torn apart. And the Squeaks, bless their souls, flew in all directions. We managed to find few hunkering in our crates. And..the treasure...gold, silver, rubies, diamonds, emeralds.. My babies! My precious children! Curse you, Galactic Knight!"

Daroach sobbed, banging a fist on the chestnut table. Sir Kibble patted him on the back.

"They're all gone! Gone! Gone!" the mouse continued, "Plus, my Airship is beyond repair! It'll take me years to fix it!"

"What about your magic?" Meta Knight asked, coolly.

"Not strong enough!" Daroach exclaimed.

Meta Knight's eyes glimmered. "I have a plan," he announced, putting his mask back on. Kirby stopped eating his food, "Poyo?"

"Oh yes, the finest ever, and it will be the best plan we have ever came up with," he added, lowering his voice.

Captain Vul, who was silent the whole entire time, questioned, "How should we know if it works?"

Ax and Mace shared a glance at each other. "Time to go to the kitchen," Mace whispered. _Bing!_ "Did you hear that?" Ax asked. _Bing!_

"Coming from over there!" Mace said.

"From the bathroom?" the skull said in disbelief. "Let's check it out," Mace said. They pulled out their weapons and advanced to the dark hallway, past Meta Knight's bedrom.

_Tap! Tap!_ Surrounded by darkness, they had to grab each other's hand to feel their way and not get lost. The tapping source got closer. Mace's senses were tingling. _Tap..tap...tap.._

"AAAAAHHHH!" The knight screamed, running through the dark hallway. With a flail in one hand, and Ax's hand in the other, you could expect some bumps and bruises.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Ax screamed as he bumped into hidden objects. He was pretty sure that he hit the wrecking ball 20 times by now. Mace ceased his screaming, due to a sore throat and walked at a slow pace, despite his fear of the darkness. _Bing! Tap! Bing! Tap!_

* * *

"I think we're getting closer," Mace panted.  
Ax rubbed his sore head, "It's in front of us."  
Mace kicked the door open, sliding along the wall. He gestured with his glove, Ax following close behind him. The skull looked uncom  
fortable as he followed his suit. "I never noticed we were that high," he gulped as he looked down. "We're almost there," Mace said. The floor seemed to be lazily constructed, considering that there was a few planks missing. The sight of gears turning below made Mace break out in a cold sweat. He gripped his chain tightly. Once they passed that obstacle, they finally made it in the bathroom. "That's it? That's it?" Mace asked in disbelief. Ax hoisted his axe over his shoulder, listening for the sound and ignoring his companion.

The small room that was densely populated with faded photographs containing only a tin sink, a bathtub, and a toilet. It didn't seem like the place to hide anything. _Bing! Bing!_

A droplet from the ceiling fell into the sink. The two knights shared a glance and laughed nervously. Ax's eyes widened. "That's not water..." he whispered, showing Mace his glove. Mace sniffed it and hacked. "That's gasoline!" he coughed.

The knights gasped and listened for the tapping source. _Tap! Tap! Tap!_ Mace knocked on the wall._ Tap! Tap!_

"Any luck there?"  
"Nope. Try the other wall!" Ax knocked on it. He felt for some weak spots and knocked on them gently. One particular spot responded with a _Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!_ "

You activated a bomb?!" Mace shrieked, whacking Ax with the handlebar of his chain.

"Let's get outta here!" Ax yelled, dashing out of the bathroom. He didn't go no farther than a block when he heard something crash and a terrified shout.

"HELP!"

* * *

"Mace!"

"Help!" the terrified knight yelled. He was hanging on a nail that was sticking out of a thick plank. He was sure his life would end in a gruesome way. Ax tiptoed carefully to the edge of the floor.

"Throw me the flail!" the skull yelled. The flail came up, missing him by a few inches.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" Ax yelled again. It made contact on the floor. As soon as he pulled him up the floorboards fell down below.

"Thanks. That was a close one," Mace said, grabbing his chain.

"Let's hurry up, then!" Ax yelled impatiently. He dashed to the dining room, and burst in with a horrified look on his face.

Meta Knight drew out Galaxia as Daroach pulled out his wand. "You're not supposed to be in here!" Vul screeched. "Bomb activated.. get out.. now!" Ax panted. The members and guests gasped.

* * *

Mace burst into the kitchen, sending food flying everywhere.

"What's the big idea!?" Trident Knight yelled.

"Ugh, just got this armor polished," Sword said in disguist, shaking some pie flakes off.

"Bomb!" the knight shouted, his chest puffed.

"You're joking, right?" Blade asked.

"I really mean it! Evacuate ship!" Mace yelled.

"No, no, no, no, no, NO! Not now! Evacuate ship!" Meta Knight yelled, his cape turning into wings.  
"You heard the man. Get out!" King Dedede screamed, making way for the door.  
"My ship!" Captain Vul sobbed, crying out a pool of tears.  
"Wait for me, sire!" Escargoon cried, grabbing his Majesty's sleeve.  
"What are you doing!? Let go of me!" Dedede roared.

Daroach grabbed Sir Kibble's glove and vanished into thin air, leaving Ax alone. The confused knight saw parts of the dining room falling apart.

"Poyo! Meta Knight! Poyo!" Kirby cried. Meta Knight swooped down, grabbing the baby and exited the room, leaving Ax behind. He ran out as fast as he could, meeting up with Mace as the remaining people rushed out of the kitchen behind him.

"Doggone chili dogs!" Blade yelled, covered in beans and hot dog buns. The ship began to vibrate uncontrollably.

"Follow us!" Meta Knight and Daraoch shouted. The two flew to a hidden door, leading into the corridors. The throng of panicking guests/members of the Halberd followed after them. Two possible exits were straight ahead. One leading west and another leading north. When they reached the north passage, part of the ceiling above it fell down, resulting in a pile of debris and wood.

"Dang!" Meta Knight spat, "That was the quickest way!" They turned to the west passage, avoiding the falling gears.

_BOOM!_ The Halberd vibrated again, this time resulting in an explosion. Everyone screamed and ran even faster. A huge fireball of doom engulfed the hallway, swallowing everything that stood in its path. The fireball then split itself into two, going into two different rooms: the armory and the location of the Main Reactor.  
King Dedede and Escargoon, who were unfortunately left in the back of the group, screamed as they dodged flames, gears, broken Wheelies, and falling debris. The flames reached out, wanting to singe the victims.  
"When I get home, I'm taking a bath I'll never forget!" the king said.  
"I'm taking mine first!" Escargoon snapped. Being a snail wasn't that easy, excluding being slow and all. The snail puffed up his chest and ran faster than the penguin. King Dedede followed after him in shock, never seeing a snail ran that fast before.

Then everyone turned, east, leading into the helm. "Now that's a shortcut!" King Dedede exclaimed. The monitors, steering wheel, wings, and other parts of the Halberd were wrecked.  
"At least the controls didn't explode," Sir Kibble said. "You guys could steer the ship into the ocean, so we won't hurt any civilians below."

As Ax and Mace ran up to it, the controls blew up in their face. Their faces and limbs were burned to the bone, or at least blackened them to an irratible point. _"AUUUGH!"_ they screamed, covering their faces. Blood seeped from Mace's left arm. Wounds on Ax were located on his right cheek. Ax took control of the steering wheel, despite his injuries and turned to a sharp right. The Halberd hovered over Grape Gardens and tilted to its right as it kept on flaming.

"The ship is falling!" Sailor Dee wailed.

"Thanks for the tip, Captain Obvious," Blade muttered.

Sword hefted open the shaft, "Everyone has to jump!"

"Are you nuts!?" Trident said. Javelin responded with a positive beep.

The rest (excluding Meta Knight, Daroach, Dedede, Kirby, Javelin and a terrified Escargoon) jumped from the ship. From afar, they looked like confetti. The Halberd exploded; Flames engulfed it once more, taking out all wings. Slowly, but surely, the great Halberd fell into Orange Ocean, a long trail of thick smoke followed it. The chain effect was done. They all watched in horrific horror.

Captain Vul was sobbing his worst, lying on his back in the soft sand of the beach. Meta Knight sat, his emotions obscured by his mask; Sailor Dee poking Kirby. "He must've fallen asleep," Meta Knight said, patting the baby puff. "Poooyo..." Kirby cooed.

King Dedede took off his cap, while Escargoon bowed his head. Daroach sat beside the sorrowful blue knight. "At least you can make a shinier new ship," the mouse said.

Meta Knight threw off his mask and started to cry. "How did I not know about this!?" he sobbed. Trident, Javelin, Sword, Blade, and Ax stared on, grieving the ship. It held many memories. A big _SPLASH!_ followed as the ship sunk into the ocean.

Mace turned back from the ocean and sat with his head in his hands, unable to comprehend what just happened.


	7. Chapter 7: Parting Ways

**Chapter 7: Parting Ways**

Daroach sighed. He could see there was a lot of cleaning up to do with the Halberd crew. It's probably not the time to be around.  
"I'll teleport you back to your homes. One chance offer."

"I like the sound of that!" Escargoon squealed, clapping his hands. Sir Kibble jumped happily, while King Dedede just crossed his arms. The mouse sighed again, a puff of smoke coming out of his thin, black nose.

"Get in a circle and hold my cloak, you two." As he waved his wand, he said to Meta Knight, "I'll be back." Daroach chanted some magical words and _POOF!_ They were gone.

The Meta-Knights grouped together, griping over their wounds. Mace's left arm continued to seep a little blood, at a slower rate.

"You're in it, big-time," Trident Knight said dramatically.

"Big-time," Javelin beeped.

"We're screwed," Ax Knight said.

Mace turned, facing the skull face-to-face with hatred burning in him. "We!? _We!?_" he repeated, punching the skull with his right arm. "Idiot!" the knight seethed, "You! Not _we_! _You!_"

Ax rubbed his stinging cheek. "Me?" He gave his former companion an uppercut, knocking him backwards. "For your information, you were the one who wanted to eavesdrop!" he screamed.

"Pipsqueak! You're the one who's uncomfortable of heights!" Mace screamed back, delivering a side punch.

"Not to mention! You're afraid of the dark!" Ax taunted, knocking him with the handlebar of his axe.

"All right, that's enough, coming from you two!" Captain Vul squawked, picking up the enraged combatants. "You have a lot of explaining to do," he growled. He knocked their heads together, making them see stars.

"We'll never get anywhere with this kind of behavior!" Sailor Dee yelled.

"Shut your trap," Vul threatened.

Blade began to suggest, "Guys, if we put all of our heads together...-"

"Forget it, it was my fault, right?" Ax sneered at Mace.

"As it always was," Mace snarled back. Captain Vul rolled his eyes, dropping them. The two knights turned their backs on each other, emitting a loud, "_HUMPH_!"

"We should find a place to camp for the night," Meta Knight hoarsely coughed, clasping his mask back on.

"He's right! Grape Gardens shouldn't be too far ahead," Sailor Dee said, optimistically.

"We're in it, you dunce," Vul muttered, making the Waddle Dee shrink. He cleared his throat. "All right, you lot, let's get on with this camping trip." "You two," he pointed to Ax and Mace, "are staying with me. Don't try anything stupid."

"For sure, we won't. Right, Mace?" Ax sneered again. Mace was dragged along by the wrist by Sailor Dee as he attempted to strangle the skull. Sword and Blade groaned in annoyance, face palming.

"How much longer are we supposed to listen to these two?" Blade complained.

"About another two miles," Sword said. "Unless..." he said, twirling his weapon.

Blade saw what he was about to say. "Uh uh. No way. The last time we did that, we had to scrub the floors with the same toothbrush for two weeks. Remember that?"

Sword frowned, "Just once would shut them up."

Blade placed his hand on his friend's back. "You and me both, buddy," he agreed.


	8. Chapter 8: Fireside Chat

**Chapter 8: Fireside Chat**

After walking along for two hours, complaints about thirst, hunger, and rest began to rise. Meta Knight happily agreed to stop. "We'll rest here for the night," he said. "Javelin," he pointed to the flying robot, "Scout ahead." Javelin responded with a beep and flew off. Captain Vul eyed Ax and Mace out of the corner of his eye. They didn't say anything much, other than scoffing at one another's misfortunes. He bumped into Meta Knight, who was facing him. "We've already stopped, Captain," the blue knight stated. The bird rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

Javelin returned with positive news. "Place safe. Good to rest. Plentiful resources."

"Thank you, Javelin, you may resume your activities," Meta Knight smiled, waving him away.

Sailor Dee sat in the no man's zone as Mace and Ax continued mumbling to themselves. "So, who's excited about the Gourmet Race next year?" he nervously asked, adjusting his sailor cap. He was trying his hardest to lighten the mood.

"You can stop, Dee," Mace grumbled, snapping a stick in two. "It won't make things any better."

"Yeah. Since I'm the one who ruins everything, right?" Ax snapped, as he ripped a leaf to pieces.

"A definite YES!" the knight agreed halfheartedly.

"Well, you know what?" Ax growled, snatching his axe up. "I'm leaving! Heck to being best friends with you!" he left without a word.

"Hmph, see if I care!" Mace shouted back, snatching up his mace. He left the opposite direction.

Captain Vul facepalmed. "Darn idiots," he mumbled.

"What? Wait! You can't leave, now!" Sailor Dee yelled, running in Mace's direction.

"AX!" Trident yelled, dashing in Ax's direction.

Mace kept walking, hate registered in his heart. In his anger he dashed, tearing up some grasses and making dirt fly everywhere. His flail flew into the wind behind him, tearing into the brushes, destroying most of it in the process. He stopped to a spot on the ocean. Mace just stood there: head hung low, teeth gritted, and tears streaking down his face. The knight panted. "I hate YOU, AX!" he screamed skyward, crying a waterfall. He heard someone calling his name.

"Mace! Mace! Where are ya, Mace? Mace!" Sailor Dee tore out of the bushes, landing headfirst in a pile of sand. Mace couldn't help but laugh, seeing the sight of the Waddle Dee being stuck. "Right here," he said, pulling him out.

"Thanks," Sailor Dee said, brushing himself off. "Are you coming back?"

"Back to where?"

"With us!"

"No way. Not after what happened. Going solo."

"What about you and Ax?"

"Forget him, it's over. If you're making anymore attempts to bring us back together, it won't work."

"B-b-but..."

"Sorry, but no," Mace replied,walking a distance away from him. Sailor Dee stared after him, distraught. He sighed and walked back where he came from.

Far off, in the opposite side, Ax hit a tree. He fell back with a THUD! Groaning, his vision blurred into two. "Two trees?" he drawled. Trident stood over him, waving his glove. "You okay?" the knight asked, helping him up. "Yeah, thanks. Dang it, don't know where I am, now," Ax replied, as he stood up.

"You sure you don't want to stay with us? The least Captain Vul can do is knock you upside the head and scream in gibberish. You won't be treated as an outcast," Trident assured him, patting him on the head.

"Thanks for telling me that, but I still won't be coming back," Ax said.

"Well, suit yourself," Trident said, flying away. His jetpack left a cloud of white smoke as he flew away.

"Where the heck am I!?" Ax screamed, throwing his hands in the air. He spotted a large boulder with a large crevice in it. "Not a bad place to live," the skull coughed, brushing some cobwebs away. The afternoon turned to night as a chilly breeze swayed him. Ax cried himself to sleep, holding his weapon close; tired from the day's events.

"So they've left for good?" Meta Knight asked. Everyone huddled around the small fire they managed to build. "Yep, but I ain't so sure about their returning," Trident answered. He took another slug from the water jug and passed it to Captain Vul. "Before they started to quarrel," he continued, "They were screaming something about a bomb in the ship. Isn't that right, Javelin?" Javelin responded with a positive beep. Sailor Dee sighed, "Why does this always happen?"

Meta Knight patted his chubby friend. "You'll understand when you grow older. Friends are sometimes inseperable and lasts a long time."

"But," Vul interjected, "They can be dangerous, too. Scalawags is what I would like to call them. For one minute, they're giving you cookies, the next minute they're stabbing you with a fork." He passed the water jug to Kirby.

"Surely, the chaps can be helpful in battle," Sword countered.

"That's enough for now, we better get some sleep if we want to stay alive," Meta Knight said yawning.

"Night, folks," Blade announced and fell back.

"So as you can see Kirby, best friends can fight once in a while but in the end, they'll come back together," Sword finished.

As soon as everyone fell asleep, Meta Knight rolled on his back to gaze at the stars. He thought about what happened so far. He never felt a loss greater than losing someone he loved. He lost his battleship, two crew members, and close allies. His golden eyes dimmed.


	9. Chapter 9: Axe's Dream

Chapter 9: Ax's Dream Sequence (Starring Ax and Mace only)

The skull opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by candles in a dark room. _"Where am I?" _he thought.

"Ah, I see you've arrived," said a familiar voice. But it had a different tone: cool like ice, and sweet like honey.

_No… it can't be… Mace?_

"In the armor!" the voice laughed. As if he could read minds. A figure emerged out of the darkness, appearing to be defenseless.

Ax readied his weapon, expecting surprise attacks. The figure laughed again. "There's no need for that," Mace chuckled, the candles illuminating his smiling face. His armor appeared to be dented, covered with many scars. That was the sign of someone who has been in many battles.

"M-M-Mace? You look different! Your mouth's caked in.."

"Blood? Oh no, it was the Maximum Tomato. Very delicious," the taller knight said, licking his mouth. As he did that, Ax noticed something very strange about his tongue. It was strangely dark red.

He tried to move away, but he stood rooted to his spot. "What's the matter? Cat's got your tongue?" Mace asked, walking closer to the skull. "N-no," stuttered Ax. His instincts was telling him to run, but instead he dropped his weapon.

"That's better," his friend said soothingly. "Come with me, I'll take you somewhere nice," Mace offered, holding out a glove.

_No, no, and NO!_ Ax's brain screamed. The skull looked at his glove. It appeared to be soaked red. Instead of following his instincts, he accepted the offer. He put his hand in it, and walked off with him. Ax couldn't help but notice that it was wet, too.

The candles flickered out.

In the darkness, they stumbled around until a chestnut door managed to make contact with Ax's face. "Sorry about that," Mace whispered. He silently opened the door and rushed in.

The two entered a mahogany room. It had no windows, one twin bed, a floor lamp, a radio, and a cabinet, complete with a Persian carpet.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Ax scoffed.

"Can't you trust me? Of course I can," Mace replied, letting go. He snapped his fingers, lighting six candles and turning on some jazz music. "Sit there," he instructed, pointing to the bed. Ax did as he was told, despite his warnings.

_Oh man… oh man.. Oh man…._

Mace smiled, his head tilting to the side. He sighed contently, crossing his arms and just stood there. Ax nervously laughed, his eyes darting side to side, scanning the room. The door was his only escape. Mace snapped his fingers again. On the cabinet, two glasses and a pitcher appeared.

_This is getting awkward… I don't like this…_

Mace poured out some sticky blood from a pitcher. "Blood?" he offered, thrusting the drink in Ax's face. It sloshed lazily around, with a few drops landing on his cheek.

"No thanks," Ax replied. He reached out with his glove to wipe away some of the liquid off his face.

"Your loss," Mace shrugged, pouring it into his mouth. He sucked his teeth saying, "Type A, very common around these parts."

_Killer! Psychopath! Murderer!_

The jazz music continued playing.

"So, what do you think of my place?" Mace asked.

"It's very…. cozy," Ax replied. "The bed's very small, though." He tried his best to look as happy as possible. Mace nodded, "I knew you'd like it. There's a reason for the bed, though. This whole place…. was made just for you."

"I'd better be going now," Ax said, trying to move off the bed. A red flag was raised.

Mace grinned mischievously. "Not yet!" he ecstatically said, locking the door. Ax panicked. _I knew I should've held on to it!_

"It's time to have some fun!" Mace said, jumping on the bed with Ax. His eyes gleamed ravenously in the light, making them twinkle. Mace pushed the skull down gently. He stared at his captive for a few minutes, lost in his thoughts, smiling.

"Is something wrong?" Ax asked nervously.

"Nothing, you just look very tasty!" Mace gleamed, parting his jaws happily. Ax gasped.

Not only was he bloodthirsty, he had developed teeth! Very pointy teeth that could rip you to shreds in a few minutes. He donned a Cheshire Cat grin, that made the knight shiver. _That's horrid, a bloody Cheshire Cat smile._

"Now, just hold still. Nothing won't hurt, I swear. It'll only take a few minutes," Mace promised.

"Are you sure about _that_?" Ax exasperatingly said. Mace then pondered for a few minutes, allowing the skull to wiggle loose from his grip. "50%," he replied.

Ax's eyes widened, fearing the worst. He was unable to move. "A-a-a-ahhh," he tried to scream. He felt Mace's glove slowly massaging his back for comfort.

"Don't worry….." he purred.

Before Ax knew it, he was lulled into a sense of security. Like a baby would when listening to a lullaby.

Mace tilted his head to the side, grinning. Then he drew back and took his first bite.

"Yow!" Ax screamed.

Mace's teeth sank into the skull. As his teeth punctured into the flesh, he purred with satisfaction. "Mmm…"

Mace lingered in his first bite, drawing large amounts of blood. Ax's moans became louder, much to his delight. He pulled back with a sigh, admiring the horns on Ax's helmet. "Satisfactory," he said, smacking his lips. "Juicy, thick, and… What's was that word?"

The bloodthirsty knight bit into Ax again, with the skull punching him in the process. "Well that hurt," Mace growled, rubbing his sore cheek.

"It was an accident!" Ax replied sarcastically. In retaliation, Mace thumped the skull in the helmet, making him unable to defend himself. A scrumptious advantage was present. He swiftly bit again, making Ax scream in protest and fear.

"That's the word! Succulent!" Mace cried, drawing back. He fell back onto a pillow in satisfaction.

"Why are you doing this to me!?" Ax uttered in pain, lying beside him; His loss of blood was making him dizzy. Mace turned on his side to look at him, in a curious expression.

"I don't get this kind of lunch everyday. Type A has gotten too dull for me!" he answered, rapidly licking Ax's wounds. The salty blood made Mace shudder with pleasure.

"Can't you find something else to eat?!" Ax yelled.

"Stop whining and just enjoy it!" Mace snapped, pausing in his binge.

Ax shivered when he processed these words.

The long, drawn-out process made him unable to do anything. Not even to think or close his eyes for one moment. Once Mace was finished, he withdrew himself and fell asleep. 20 minutes passed by before he woke up. During that time, Ax was able to quietly navigate his way through the small house. He found some bandages for himself and wrapped it (not the way he expected it to be, but that was okay) on the wounds.

Mace sat up, hands on his knees, sighing. "You're getting too _uninteresting_. Tell you what? How about we play a little game?" he grinned.

"A game?"

"A fun game. I'll give you 30 seconds to get out of here, but no tricks. It gets boring around here very quickly, with the lack of visitors," Mace gleamed, relaxing on the bed. "I'm counting," he said in a singsong voice. _His blood ought to be pumped up to make it richer, _Mace thought as he looked at his captive.

Ax sat up, bearing to look away. _Get out, get out, get out, get out!_ He jumped off and made for the door. He tripped over the dirtied corpse of a familiar Waddle Dee. _Oh no, not Sailor Dee! _The Waddle Dee seemed to be forced against the wall as he met his doom. A large amount of blood was splattered on the wall, proving this fact. He adorned a large slash on his little body. His pitiful cries of help rang in Ax's head as he stared at him._ Stop looking at him!_ Despite his bite marks, he managed to unlock the door and get out. He didn't get very far as Mace pounced on him, biting into his back. Ax screamed, falling on his face.

"Humph, you're too slow." Mace growled, his teeth grazing Ax's wound. "Now, you want to play again, or die?" he asked.

A little light bulb went on in Ax's brain. "Sure, why not!" he agreed. He managed to step inside the room, next to the bed and patted it. _Come and get me,_ he seemed to say, beckoning him with his finger. Mace willingly took the offer and dashed for him, arms outstretched. "Ha ha! Now I've got you!" Ax snatched the radio and chucked it directly at his face. It crashed into Mace, sending him flying across the room and into the wall. "Hey! That was a dirty trick!" Mace yelled, struggling to free himself. _Well, no duh, Captain Obvious! _Ax thought as he ran out again.

Mace yelled in his anger, tearing the barrier between him and a good lunch. He reached under the bed and pulled out his flail. He cackled manically and ran out behind the skull, "This dream will be a real scream!"

Ax ran out of the room to find himself in a rainy night. Only that it was raining blood.

"Aw, come on!" he yelled, annoyed with the gruesome dream world.

He was interrupted with the sound of a crash behind him. A brick building now owned a huge hole in the wall.

"Come back here!" Mace roared, preparing his flail.

"AH!" Ax screamed, running past a bakery store. The flail made contact with the asphalt left and right. CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! The skull turned a corner into a dark alley and gasped when he heard Mace's growls.

The Blood Knight stood in the alley's entrance. A lightning bolt outlined his horrific silhouette: bloody, equipped with a flail in his hand. "You can run, but you can't hide," he taunted, swinging his flail. Each step he took was as quiet as a cat's. He tasted Ax's blood in his mouth, the scent still lingering in his body. He sniffed again. Guessing that his prey was in the nearest trash can, he rapidly banged on it with his free fist.

"EEK!" Ax squealed, popping out of it. "Blech," Mace said in disgust, waving the scent away. But he grinned, his tongue swiping his mouth. He laughed again, and took off after Ax.

Ax slammed into a brick wall. _Dead end! This is it for me!_ his mind panicked. A paper on the wall had a picture of Mace. It was a horrid picture, for he had his flail in his gloves, grinning. He was accompanied by a gruesome scene of blood-splattered wall and some body parts lying around his feet. _A wanted poster? Oh, that's Mace!_

At that moment, the flail came swinging around as Mace chuckled. "A bloody ending. Isn't that ironic? I guess you got accustomed to the rain. You look more appetizing that way." He swung again.

Ax jumped to the right as the flail hit the wall behind him. Then he turned around and realized a horrible fact. He was cornered. Then he looked back. To his surprise, Mace dropped his weapon and sidled to him. Putting one hand on his helmet, he announced, "You're all ready now." With the other, he pushed Ax against the brick wall. The skull shivered uncontrollably, whimpering as the knight's jaws parted, his voracious appetite being put to use.

End of Dream Sequence


End file.
